T and I went for a wonderfully wet walk yesterday in the rain and were blessed (yes blessed) to see the beautiful colours of the leaves as they fell from the trees. I just love this time of year, always have and always will, and yet yesterday something struck me. Why do so many of us love the colours as the leaves change and often choose Autumn as our favourite season, yet we fear the Autumn of our own lives?

I couldn’t help but wonder why, if we are so happy to celebrate the turning of the leaves and see the beauty in it, why does our society still scorn the turning of our own hair to grey and white (which can be a most dignified look) and the changing of our own skin. Why are we so sad about it?

I guess on the grand scale of things we know that the trees will blossom and bloom again within a few months - over and over this pattern has played in our lives so we do not doubt the return of youth the coming Spring. Do the trees of our world play out the cycle of our own births, lives, deaths and rebirths? Do you even believe in reincarnation? Perhaps it is this fear that once we are old there is no more youth that scares so many of us.

But with age comes great beauty as the trees demonstrate so well. Autumn is not yet the stark landscape of winter (which can be equally as beautiful in its own way) - so why do we fear it in our lives as well as our winters? I could not help but wonder…

At the moment I am being challenged by health issues I never thought I would face at this time in my life. One of the difficulties this has brought with it is the inability to sleep. As someone who has always slept very deeply, to have disturbed sleep each night is a bit of a shock. So the other night I came to the conclusion that I needed to do more to make my bed a peaceful haven from the rest of the world. So I meditated upon this and was inspired to created a post at each corner of my bed to protect me from energies that may disturb my sleep.

The meditation grew and eventually I had four beautiful tree trunks, one at each corner, towering above me, spreading their branches across the bed to form a canopy not unlike the pattern formed in a Cathedral ceiling where the it comes out of the pillars to join in a seamless pinnacle in the middle. From this canopy, which swayed ever so gently in an unseen breeze, fell leaves of light, sparkling in a beautiful blue, then green, then white pattern. They drifted down to dissipate just before touching my skin, bringing with them healing and calm. Leaves also fell beside the bed, creating a curtain between myself and the world, allowing me the privacy and santuary I was seeking.

I felt safe and comforted in my bed that night and decided that such a beautiful meditation could not be kept to myself. Therefore I hope that you will perhaps try this yourself the next time you are struggling to get a good night’s sleep.

Blessings
Amanda xx

As the seasons change T and I have been trying to make the most of getting out and enjoying the beauty of autumn. We are taking as many pictures as possible because we have dreams and plans of putting together lots of beautiful and hopefully useful things for ourselves, friends and readers. This means that een though there hasn’t been a post for a while, I have not forgotten about Roots That Heal. I sometimes feel bad that I do not post as frequently as I could - but then I remember how my Reiki journey is about living the principles and that involves going out and being in Nature - and as I cannot take my laptop to the woods with me it also means I do not have as much time to blog.

 I have had a couple of responses to my request for guest bloggers and I am looking forward to bringing them onboard. The offer is still open and even if you do not feel you write very well, please do contact me if you feel the desire to be a part of this blog. I would like to create a community here and that means including you all in some way :o)

Whilst talking about community, perhaps you could leave me a message letting me know which of the following you would be interested in seeing here:

The continuation of our forum (I am thinking if we keep it we may change it to a more general spiritual/healing forum)

A Reiki/Celtic Circle - a healing group one night per week where we all join and send healing and love to the world

A Book Group - where we read a book and then all discuss it

A Monthly Spotlight on a Reiki/Spiritual blog - to expand your blog reading

For now though, I will leave you with a few more pictures of our recent jaunt into Nature and will get working on the updates I have been thinking about adding to the site. Please do have a look around over te next few days/weeks to see the new additions.

Blessings
Amanda

Anyway, I thought about the guest post I wrote which started this blog and then the guest post my Reiki Master wrote for me and realised it was high time I included some more. But who do I ask? How can I choose between all the wonderful blogs I read and also, how do I know if I’m missing the wonderful words of someone who reads my blog but does not have one of their own. So here’s the deal - I’m asking for anyone who wishes to contribute a guest post to Roots That Heal to email me at rootsthatheal@live.co.uk with a suggestion of the topic you wish to write about and any information about yourself and why you want to write for this site.

Topics you may be interested in writing about should centre around healing (of any kind, not just Reiki) and/or nature. It doesn’t even have to be very spiritual - if you want to write about the plants in your garden that’s fine too - because at the end of the day all of life and nature is spiritual whether we decide to focus upon it or not. Of course I’m not going to allow posts that have nothing to do with celebrating life, ourselves, nature, God/Goddess, Spirit, healing… but I am open to any and all suggestions you might have.

So let me know if you’re interested and hopefully we’ll be seeing a few new faces on here over the next few weeks and/or months!

With Love
Amanda xx

 Now as you can imagine I was over the moon to receive this. When TC asked me to start a new blog based on Celtic Reiki I was so thrilled and hoped that I would attract readers who would enjoy and appreciate what I had to share and this award shows me that in some part I have achieved that aim. So my thanks go to Tammy and following the rules of the award (and paying attention to the law of flow) I shall now pass this award on to blogs that I love and hope that you might enjoy visiting them yourself! Some have been listed on my links list here and some over on my personal blog, which reminds me that I really must get around to updating my link list. I must also add that I may not always comment over on the following blogs but I do really love to visit them!

So my nominees for this award are:

Isabella Mori over at Change Therapy - Isabella’s blog is a true gem and I have learnt so much from reading her posts.

Beth Hansen-Buth over at Reiki Artist Blog - Beth is a truly amazing artist and I adore her work but even more than that I love to check in and hear about her journey with Reiki

TC over at ReikiBlogger - not only would this blog not exist without the thought and vision of TC but also I discovered the world of Reiki blogging through his blog and love to check in and see what is going on whenever I can

Solomon Grey over at Things I’m Grateful For - Solomon is an inspiration to me with this blog as I know that often I am not grateul enough and were I to show more gratitude I might see even more beauty in life than I do now. Very commendable work!

Beverley Keaton over at Embrace Your Gifts and Soar - Beverley writes some beautifully inspiring posts and I just feel so uplifted whenever I have read one. Which reminds me of a challenge/request she set me to post about how I am soaring which I must do.

Carla Blazek over at Zena Musings - I loved Carla’s blog as soon as I stumbled upon it but even more endearing was the Sacred Life Sunday movement she started, whereby bloggers can post on a Sunday about the Sacred in their lives. I have done this a few times over on my personal blog and am thinking of moving it over to here as well.

Janet over at The Reiki Digest - Janet works so hard to bring up to date information and links to Reiki articles and goings on in the world each week and I love being able to catch up with what’s happening when I get the chance - so thanks for all the time and effort you put into it, Janet!

 If I haven’t mentioned your blog please do not think I don’t love what you do and say - I do but these 7 blogs (and it states 7 blogs in the rules) all touch me that little bit deeper. And for those of you who wish to accept the award and pass it on here are the rules:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog;

2. Link the person you received your award from;

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs;

4. Put links of those blogs on yours; and

5. Leave a message on the blogs that you’ve nominated.

Now on to the other part of the post - The Rewards of Nature. As the autumn is getting ready to arrive here in England I cannot help but look forward to the Harvest season and the changing of the leaves and the preparation for cold, winter months. Harvest is a time of reaping the rewards of Nature herself and although she provides the whole year round it seems so much more visible when the farmers are in their fields cutting their crops and the trees are bearing their fruits and my dad piles mountains of vegetables onto my kitchen table that he has grown this year. And this has inspired me to start a new series on this blog - The Rewards of Nature.

One thing I ssaid to T the other day was that I wanted to start documenting the changes in the world as the year went by so that next year we could create our own calendar for friends and family. We never go anywhere without our trusty camera and have already started a small collection of photos and notes on what is happening in our world. We want to live more in harmony with the changes and to live seasonally and close to nature herself. And so I’d live to invite you to join me in watching as the seasons change and pop by once in a while to see what we have noticed ourselves. Perhaps you might even like to visit our forum and start up a diary there. We are still unsure as to whether to keep the forum up and running or close it down - so if you do want to use it please make the most of it while it is still there.

I must go now as I have a birthday cake to decorate but I will see you all soon

With much love and many blessings

Amanda xx

I set the room up as I would for an in-person attunement and drew upon my experiences sending Reiki healing to distant places. Whenever I did this I would choose some crystals to represent certain chakras in the body. I found that this not only helped me to focus my attention on a particular chakra more easily but also that it amplified the energy. Last week I had the distinct pleasure of using two very powerful quartz points that T bought recently to use with his Crystal Healing course. On top of those I used a smaller quartz point for the crown chakra, some amethyst for the third eye, aventurine for the heart and I used this stone also for the hands, because they were positioned in front of the heart for a lot of the process.

My manual suggests using a teddy bear as a representation of the person, helping you to focus your mind on the process, however I don’t own a teddy bear. So I simply used my visualisation and intention, asked my guides and the Angels to help me direct the energies where they needed to go and confirmed that this was an attunement for the person who was currently residing in “x”. As with all Reiki, attunements rely on your intention to send the energy in a certain way.

I seemed to finish the attunement in record time - perhaps because I was relying on my own visualisation, rather than having to wait for the recipient to move their hands to a certain position etc. So having already advised the recipient to relax for half an hour I set the intention that the remaining minutes would be left for her to relax and adjust to the new energies - after all a little relaxation and meditation does no one any harm!

So, now that I have done my first attunement by distance I look forward to trying it some more. A little at a time, as I do believe in making Reiki a part of your lifestyle not just a convenient add-on and as I am about to start a new career and am recovering from a very nasty illness, I am choosing to spend most of my time realigning the energies within myself and living out the Reiki precepts rather than rushing to Reiki everything and everyone. I may not be around for a few weeks, but know I am still here, still practising the best I can, and will be back with much more to share with you all.

With many Blessings
Amanda xx

You see, I used to run around, trying to be the best I can be in all situations - at work, with friends, for family, online… I would tire myself out and cut out sleep so desperately needed because some part of me felt that I had to do and be everything for as many people and in as many situations as possible. I found it hard to just stop and be - something I had no choice but to do once the illness struck. Whereas before I would be taking the time I had to spend in bed reading a book, learning a new skill, writing for my blogs, or planning a new way to help the world, this time all I could do was lie there and think. And think I did. Soon, thinking turned into meditating and meditating turned into self-reflection.

Within this self-reflection I realised I was so busy giving out to the entire world that I was neglecting the first person any one of us should look after - myself. Nobody can change the world without first changing themselves and the phrase “charity begins at home” really begins to make sense when we remember that to heal another we must first heal ourselves. When we forget to do this our bodies and lives throw up all sorts of obstacles to show us how out of balance we are. I had long manifested illnesses as a way to get out of the pressures and responsibilites of life. I had even recognised this pattern within my own life, but was unable to change it because I couldn’t change how I felt about myself. My self-worth lay entirely upon how much I did for others and whether they’d be able to say “Amanda truly made a difference in her lifetime”.

But you know what? The biggest difference I can possibly make is to be happy and healthy myself. I can live as an example in a world full of people struggling to get through the day where the only way to heal them is not to offer to help but to show them another way. Ultimately the only way I learnt this was to become so ill I couldn’t function anymore. Thankfully, this time, I think I got the message.

And so I would like to send a loving message out to my readers today to remember to take some time to give to yourself. Give yourself time, give yourself love, give yourself everything you would wish for your nearest and dearest - do not neglect the most important person in your life - YOU! If you can look after yourself and show compassion to your own being you can do anything - because in a world where we are constantly asked to achieve this and achieve that the hardest thing to do is often to say “No”.

Have a wonderful weekend and take care of yourselves
Amanda xx

So we have been made to take a slower pace these past few weeks and it has taught us an awful lot. I have in recent years been learning that illness can be as much a blessing as a curse, and sometimes it is only through having to take care of my body that I take care of my soul as well! One of the major differences this has brought to our lives is the integration of evening walks (and daytime ones if we can afford the time from work) and fllowing our hearts and spending more time in nature than ever before. We had always taken walks at weekends, but they had always been rushed into a spare slot in our schedule - now they are the first thing we try to plan!

In fact - today T is on a shamanic workshop and I am about to head out to the common, with my iPod in my pocket and camera round my neck, ready to sit and relax, watching the hours go by, snapping anything that strikes me as beautiful of inspiring and listening to the language lessons I have downloaded and wanted to listen to for several months (if not years!) Normally I would stay home and panic about all the things I have to get done - but today I am taking time for myself!

The summer is here (well in the UK it is) and we plan on enjoying every last second of it. I hope that you too manage to find the time in your hefty schedules to get out and about and truly feel the sun on your face, the wind in your hair and smell the roses - because life CAN be beautiful!

With Love and Blessings
Amanda xx

I have started writing my Celtic Reiki book this week and the first chapter - The Beech (not the first chapter in the book but my favourite tee so my favourite chapter to write!) has just been completed! I’m going to be sharing some excerpts from the book as and when I feel it is appropriate, as the whole process is a great way for me to develop my understanding of each tree to even deeper levels than I have previously. And as it’s been such a long time since I shared a meditation with you I thought I’d post this one here. Stay tuned as I am going to be looking into a way to record and publish it as an actual guided meditation over the coming week, but until then enjoy reading through it and perhaps give it a try with a loved one!

This meditation works best with some music playing softly in the background, as the Beech tree delights in taking those who visit her on a dancing journey to her home. You can just as easily follow this meditation without any music and just dance to the music in your soul, if you feel that this is something you would rather do.

Find somewhere quiet and comfortable where you can sit without being disturbed. Make sure you are nice and warm and then close your eyes and quietly listen to the sound of your own breath as it goes slowly in and out, in and out.

Be aware of your body, focus on first your toes, then your feet and ankles, your calves and knees and then your thighs and hips. Note if you have any tension in any of these areas. If you do, gently direct the breath down to the tense area and allow it to softly blow away the pain. When your legs feel nice and relaxed move your attention further up your body to focus on your abdomen, chest, arms, hands and fingers. Again allow your breath to ease away any tension, slowly but surely. Finally bring your attention to your neck, face and head, breathing out any tension here, until the whole of your body feels warm and relaxed.

Quietly listen to the sound of your breath once more, noticing how slowly and deeply you are now taking breath in and blowing it back out. In and out, like a steady rhythm, beating to the sound of the music you can hear.

As you listen to the music you become aware of a green thread of light, dancing in swirls before you. You watch it, following each dip and swirl and realise that with each movement the colour gets brighter and the trail it leaves longer. Feel the green light dancing around you, inviting you to step into its world and dance with it.

As you begin to sway to the music realise that you are now standing in a beautiful forest, where the sunlight is shining down through a canopy of the most beautiful green you have ever seen. All around you there are trees growing, blissfully dancing in the slight breeze created by your very breath – in and out, in and out. Each tree dances to its own tune, yet together they make a beautifully orchestrated ensemble, dancing as if they have danced this very dance their entire lives.

As you watch this beautiful scene before you, your eyes are drawn into the distance, where a silvery grey presence begins to glow. You know instinctively that this is who you came to see – this is the star of this performance and she is inviting you to join her tonight. You walk along the path, drawn by her graceful moves, and as you draw near you realise that the silvery being is in fact the trunk of the tallest Beech tree you have ever seen.

You hesitate for a moment, wondering what you should do, when you hear a whisper on the breeze, the breeze created by your own breath – in and out. You listen and realise that the whisper is your own voice, this is your higher self speaking to you. Listen to the secrets you hold deep inside yourself – listen to how wise you are!

As you continue to breathe in and out you realise that you are the most important part of this whole dance – you are the star and the Beech is your partner. Knowing this, you reach out your arms and embrace her as you begin to dance along to your own music – the music of life. And as you touch her, the Beech tree begins to move more freely than ever before. Her roots lift up from the ground, trailing behind her like a dancer’s gown. She spins around the forest floor, dancing to the sound of your breath and the beat of your heart. She knows your pain, your joy, your silence and your voice – she knows everything about you and she wants to create a living record of who you are, right now.

As you continue to dance you realise that it is getting dark. Suddenly you find you are no longer in the forest but inside the most beautiful hall you have ever seen. The hall is perfectly round, its ceiling created by layers upon layers of branches, all reaching towards the ground and in its very centre stands the trunk of the oldest tree you could imagine. This, your partner tells you, is the first Beech tree – the mother of all other Beech trees in our world and any other. As you continue to dance around this central pillar of love and wisdom you feel another whisper in the breeze. This whisper is unlike any you’ve ever heard before – it speaks of time itself – whispering sweet words of all the dances that ever were and ever will be. Here all wisdom, knowledge and experience is recorded, so all those who ever visit will be blessed with the whole of existence. This is where the dance of life is created and where it is kept for al eternity. And you are now a part of this.

As you begin to understand the great significance of this you realise that the hall is slowly fading and you no longer feel the powerful pull of your partner’s enchanting dance. Yet a soft whisper still lies upon your breath – it tells you that this is not the end – in fact this is merely the beginning of a beautiful dance that will continue until time itself no longer exists.

Slowly but surely become aware of your breathing once more as you slowly breathe in and out, in and out. Say a silent prayer of thanks to your partner for sharing in your dance and showing you the knowledge and power held within your very breath.

Gradually become aware of your body, first your head and then your neck, shoulders, arms, torso, legs and feet. Wriggle your toes and fingers and open your eyes.

Be blessed by the energy of the Beech.

I am currently in the research part of the whole thing, having set out a basic framework and knowing which areas I still need to work on. And for the purpose of making sure the book is accessible to all I’d like to ask for your assistance in sharing with me what you already know and feel about several areas I shall be covering.

Every person who comments on our Roots That Heal forum under one of the research headings will then be placed into a prize draw which will be drawn on Friday 1st August - that gives you about 4 weeks to get writing to me! By commenting on the forum you agree that your words may be used as part of my research (although no exact words or names will be used without further permission from you).

The prizes you could win are as follows:

First prize - A copy of Diana Cooper’s new book Angel Answers (which I have bought and read and now wish to pass on) along with a free distance healing session from myself and T.

Second Prize - A copy of an inspirational giftbook I received several years ago and wish to pass on plus 3 small crystal gemstones (as chosen by T and myself and imbued with Reiki energy).

Third Prize - 3 small crystal gemstones (as chosen by T and myself and imbued with Reiki energy).

So, happy posting and we look forward to reading some of your comments on topics such as Nature, Animals, Faeries, Celtic Reiki, The Seasons, The Trees, Flowers etc. And oncer you are there, why not have a look around the rest of the forum - perhaps posting something you are interested in to share with our other readers!

With much Love and many Blessings
Amanda and T xx